What to do and see in Wenshan, Taipei: The Best Hiking Trails

“Tiao” in Tiaomi means “selling grains” in Chinese and “Tiaomi” means “peddling rice”. During the period between 1821 and 1850 (Emperor Daoguang’s reign), in a move to reduce time spent on transportation and labor, farmers in the Sanchangli area built this narrow mountainous trail as an alternative route to the smoother - yet longer - foot path. There are a total of 500 stone steps on this trail to facilitate quicker transportation of rice in regions like Nangang, Muzha, Shenkeng and Jingmei, and support more frequent trade activities. Since there is a Tiaomi Temple along the trail, the trail becomes its eponym, Tiaomi Historic Trail. “Tiaomi” also means “shouldering rice” in Chinese. Legend has it that due to the steep, treacherous steps, carriers at that time had to rest by the Temple when travelling across the region. To express their gratitude to the God of the Earth for blessing them with a safe journey, they would leave a bowl of rice while resting. As time passed by, the residents built a simple temple using stones to show their respect for the God. After several reconstructions, it became the current “Tiaomi Temple”. There is also the “Dexing Coal Mine Entrance” near the trail. Dexing Coal Mine started its operation about 1897, and reached its operating prime between 1946 and 1948. This was followed by the exhaustion of the coal vein. The site was abandoned, leaving only the mine entrance as a tourist attraction. The stone steps on Tiaomi Historic Trail resurfaced in 2011 along with the establishment of an arch bridge, wooden path and tourist signposts for the Trail.